Gene Regulation: Eukaryotes vs. Prokaryotes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to gene regulation mechanisms in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, including definitions, processes, and important concepts.

Gene Regulation

The process by which a cell controls the expression of its genes.

Eukaryotes

Organisms with complex cells that have a nucleus and organelles, where gene regulation is more complex than in prokaryotes.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus and organelles, generally have simpler gene regulation mechanisms.

Chromatin Remodeling

The structural change in chromatin that regulates gene expression by altering access to DNA.

Alternative Splicing

The process by which different combinations of exons are joined together to produce multiple mRNA variants from a single gene.

mRNA Stability

The lifespan of mRNA molecules in the cell, influencing how much protein can be produced from the mRNA.

Nonsense Mediated Decay (NMD)

A cellular mechanism that degrades mRNAs containing premature stop codons, preventing the synthesis of incomplete proteins.

Non-coding RNAs

RNA molecules that do not code for proteins but play roles in gene regulation and other cellular functions.

Post-translational Modifications

Chemical modifications to proteins after their synthesis that can alter their function or stability.

Ubiquitin-Proteasome System

A major pathway for protein degradation in cells where proteins are tagged for destruction by ubiquitin.

Transcription Factors (TFs)

Proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences to regulate gene transcription.

Enhancers

Cis-regulatory elements that increase the likelihood of transcription of a particular gene.

Silencers

Cis-regulatory elements that can down-regulate gene transcription.

mRNP

Messenger ribonucleoprotein particle, a complex of mRNA and proteins that regulate mRNA stability and export.

Dicer

An enzyme involved in the processing of precursor RNA into small interfering RNA (siRNA) and microRNA (miRNA).